Improvement in preparing grain



m. 38,347. PATENTED APR. 28, 1863. s. WEIDENFELD.

PREPARING GRAIN, 650., FOR MALTING.

WW tiara);

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIGMUND wEIDENEELD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,347, dated April 28, 1863.

To all whom it may concern Be'it known that I, SIGMUND WEIDENFELD, of the city, county, and State 'of'New York, have invented a new and useful method of distilling whisky, including a new and useful apparatus theref0r;an'd I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making a part of this specification, which represents a vertical longit udinal section of said apparatus.

The nature of my invention consists in an improvement in the mashing of grain, whereby an increased product of sugar, and as a consequence an increased product of alcohol, is obtained.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the annexed drawing, A represents a retort walled in and placed over grate-bars, and with other parts necessary to sustain astcady fire under the same. A pipe, D, leads from the said retort upward into a hermeticallyclosed water-tank, B, which communicates with the mash-tun G by a pipe and hose, E, provided with a cock, F. I deem it proper here to'state that the usual method for distill ing grain into whisky, and especially of that portion thereof termed mashing, consists in, first, finely grinding corn, haver, malt, and rye; then by adding hot water thereto; then by continuing the heat thereof by steam of high temperature, and sometimes manual or mechanical labor is added to keep the mass in agitation. By this process much ofthe sugar contained in the grain is lost,first, by finely grinding it, and then by the great heat, which consumes part of the starch and sugar.

By my invention the grain is mashed chemically by a cold process in the following manner: For every hundred weight of roughlygronnd grain which I place in the mash-tun G fol-mashing I put in the retortA aboutone ounce ofsulphuric acid, one-half of an ounce v of pulverized wood-coal, and one quarter of an ounce of crystallized soda, without any intel-mixture of water. I then build up aslow fire underneath the retort and continue the same during about eight hours, during which time the materials therein are changed into gases,

which rise through the pipe D into the tank,

B, which is filled with cold water, and which becomes impregnated by the said gases. This water so impregnated forms a solution which is let through the hose E into the mash-tun O, and penetrates the roughly-ground grainthcrein insuchamanner that thesame is thoroughly softened and dissolvedinto starch, or, asit is termed, mashed. The quantity of starch or sugar thereby obtained is from fifteen to tweu. t-y-five per centum larger than the quantity of starch or sugar obtained by the method at present in use.

For my process of mashing I am enabled to use Indian corn without any other intermixture with good results; but I ma use wheat, rye, haver, or any other kind of grain, either alone or mixed, with the same advantages. Beside the advantage of a larger production of starch, sugar, and whisky attained by this method, I am also enabled to make the fermentation which follows the process of mashing stronger and with a less degree of heat; and I also avoid the production of essential oils with the whisky. w

The succeeding process by which the sugar, is changed into whisky is like the process at present in use, except that a less degree of heat is necessary.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot' the United States, is

Mashing Indian corn or any other kind of grain by a cold solution, substantially as de: scribed.

Dated January 17 1863.

, SIGMUND \VEIDENFELD. \Vitnesses:

CHS. WEHLE, ALEXANDER WEHLE. 

